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Kaldi’s ‘Boo’ed Over Rising Prices

At a Tuesday night Food Advisory Committee at Emory (FACE) meeting, students voiced their concerns, including rising prices at Kaldi’s Coffee, to Emory Dining representatives in a town hall-style forum.

Students said they noticed rising prices despite shrinking portion sizes at Kaldi’s. One student noted the near-$6 price tag of avocado toast, which rises to $7.28 with the addition of a fried egg. Avocado toast became a permanent menu fixture this year at Kaldi’s. Previously, consumers could order toast, avocado and fried egg for $2.50, the student claimed.

The student said that despite the price hike in the avocado toast, Kaldi’s now supplies one less slice of toast for almost triple the price. A chorus of agreement followed the student’s complaints, and a clamor of students voiced additional complaints about Kaldi’s pricing. Students also requested more options in Kaldi’s late night menu.

Kaldi’s is an independently owned company, but the Food Service Administration (FSA) is in charge of regulating prices on Emory’s campus.

“All feedback is good feedback,” Hecht said, noting that any issues with Emory Dining, notwithstanding their relative sizes, are important to FSA.

She added that FACE can only work as a liaison between students and Emory Dining, if students participate.

William Heck (16Ox, 18C) told the Wheel he believes more student participation in FACE meetings is necessary.

“I felt like a lot of the questions that were raised by people didn’t quite reflect the … real issues that the student body has,” Heck said, adding that inconsistent food quality and food poisoning from Highland Bakery are recurring issues.

Divine Francis (16 Ox, 18C) told the Wheel he experienced a case of food poisoning last week after purchasing a meal from Highland Bakery.

“The whole purpose of us being here is to fix,” Bon Appetit’s Resident District Manager Kellie Piper said. Emory Dining provides a clothesline near the entrance of the DUC-ling for students to give Dining suggestions, and management is always open to submissions, whether those are offered via the clothesline, email or at FACE meetings, according to Piper.